Scottish Government

SCOTTISH STRATEGIC RAIL STUDY: Working Paper 5: Option Development

3. PLANNING OBJECTIVES AND ASPIRATIONAL TARGETS

3.1 Working Paper 3 presented the phase of work that reviewed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that face the rail network within the study area and reviewed available literature. The output from this phase of work was a vision for the rail network and a set of planning objectives for each region. Generic strategies for meeting the planning objectives were also identified.

3.2 To use the planning objectives within the appraisal process the objectives are required to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timed (i.e. SMART). Drawing upon the benchmark analysis presented earlier (Chapter 2) and the SWOT analysis, aspirational targets have been developed for each of the planning objectives. This chapter presents those targets. The SMART planning objectives are therefore fully traceable to the overarching objectives of the national rail system and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the rail system currently faces.

3.3 The development of a SMART planning objective takes cognisance of the existing position and the realistic potential of improvement from that position. There is therefore a degree of circularity in the setting of a SMART objective, as the SMART objective influences the composition of the package to be modelled and appraised, whilst the modelling and appraisal can assist in determining;

3.4 We would argue that there is a measure of 'desirability' in these aspirational targets in so far as there is evidence to suggest that the customer (i.e. the rail user) wants them - but whether the taxpayer should be asked to pay for them will only emerge from their appraisal. Thus the final definition of the targets, their achievability and the timeframe required to meet them will form an output of the study. It is for these reasons that the targets have been labelled as aspirational and no timeframe has been specified.

3.5 Quantitative data is needed to make a planning objective SMART. Within the context of this strategic study data is not available for all the planning objectives, it was however considered important to develop targets for all the objectives to ensure that the focus of the proposed plans (project packages) was not overly biased towards those objectives for which quantitative data are available (e.g. train frequency). For objectives for which no or little data is available (within the context of this study) a broad pragmatic target has been identified.

3.6 This chapter also presents any rail target developed by a local authority as part of their LTS. LTS's often contain a number of general public transport targets, relating to for example patronage, level of services and mode choice. These targets have not been reproduced here as whilst rail is expected to contribute to meeting the targets its explicit expected contribution has not been stated.

SESTRAN

3.7 Table 11 presents targets for each of the planning objectives developed in Working Paper 3 for the SESTRAN area. These targets take cognisance of the benchmarks discussed in Chapter 2.

Table 11 SESTRAN STAG Planning Objective Aspirational Targets

LTS Rail Targets

3.8 The following rail targets have been developed:

• By 2010 increase passenger rail use by 50% [Fife]
• The modal share for rail of all journeys made by Falkirk Council residents should be [Falkirk]:

SPT

3.9 Table 12 presents targets for each of the planning objectives developed in Working Paper 3 for the SPT area. These targets take cognisance of the benchmarks discussed in Chapter 2.

Table 12 SPT STAG Planning Objective aspirational Targets

SPTS Rail Target

3.10 A number of targets relating to public transport have been presented in the SPT strategy (SPTS), however, these refer to public transport in general not rail in particular.